Diana's push for new Government Center fails

Legislature falls short of votes for $75M plan for new complex

GOSHEN - The Orange County Government Center won a reprieve Thursday, when County Executive Ed Diana failed to garner enough support from lawmakers to demolish and replace the 42-year-old office complex. As expected, the Legislature voted 11-10 in favor of his $75 million proposal. But that left Diana three votes short of the...

GOSHEN — The Orange County Government Center won a reprieve Thursday, when County Executive Ed Diana failed to garner enough support from lawmakers to demolish and replace the 42-year-old office complex.

As expected, the Legislature voted 11-10 in favor of his $75 million proposal. But that left Diana three votes short of the two-thirds majority he needed for $14.6 million in bonding to plan the new building and make improvements at six other county buildings. Ten Republicans and an Independence Party member supported his plan; all eight of the Legislature's Democrats and two Republicans voted against it.

The defeat was a victory for a citizens' group and Democratic lawmakers who have campaigned for months for the county to renovate the Government Center. They argue that revamping the insides of the building — designed by famed architect Paul Rudolph and considered a modernist landmark in the art world — would be much cheaper than starting anew and would offer many of the same advantages.

But the outcome left no clear future for the Government Center, which has sat empty since Diana closed it in September because of water damage and mold left by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Diana, who didn't attend the extended debate that preceded the vote at the county's Emergency Services Center, released a statement afterward saying he was "deeply disappointed by the outcome."

"It is unfortunate that some legislators do not recognize the many benefits that would come from building a new Government Center," Diana said, listing examples such as improved energy efficiency and the creation of construction jobs.

Almost two dozen audience members spoke before Thursday's vote, most in support of renovating rather than replacing the building. "The Government Center can be repaired, restored and even expanded at significantly less cost to the taxpayer, rather than by replacing it," said Suzanne Straton of Warwick.

Harvey Berg, a retired architect and engineer and outspoken advocate for renovating, pointed out that bond interest would widen the cost difference between the two options, saying, "At this point, we do not have one single valid reason why we should build a new building and spend an additional $100 million plus."

The outcome of the vote came as no surprise, since lawmakers had already made clear their positions in two committee votes last week and in public statements and interviews.

But the meeting was not without intrigue: Before lawmakers weighed in on Diana's bond request, they debated a motion to postpone a decision for as long as four months to await the results of a study. Independence Party member Michael Amo suggested lawmakers hold off for recommendations on how to position the county's agencies — a study that was supposed to accompany the design of a new building. Republicans left the room to debate the idea in private, while audience members called out for a vote.

Approving the delay would have spared Diana a public defeat. But lawmakers rejected the notion in a 12-9 vote, then began a lengthy debate on the building proposal. Three hours after the meeting started, they voted — just the way that had been expected.

Some Republicans suggested the Government Center fight was grinding toward an impasse, saying that renovation supporters couldn't muster the necessary 14 votes, either. But others, along with the Democrats, held out hope for a future compromise, even though it was not immediately clear what form that might take.

"Why would you even say the word 'stalemate?'" Chris Eachus, D-New Windsor, pointedly asked a fellow lawmaker. "I personally am willing to work with all of you, or are you telling me you're not willing to work with the rest of us?"